Red-Headed Reassurances
by EchoPatronus3
Summary: Harry brings Ginny over for the first time, to introduce her as his girlfriend to Severus and Lily. He's a nervous wreck, she's completely calm, and Harry's parents? As normal as they were going to get.


**So this small one-shot has been bouncing around in my head for days, so I decided to put it out there. It's something that I've thought about writing one day in my Snily story "Of Professors and Prophecies", but since it would be a _long_ time before I would get to that point, I've decided to just publish it now. I can't say that my Snily story will even turn out exactly as this one-shot implies (the specifics of Sev and Lily's kids, for example), I just wanted to add some things in there off the top of my head. So, this can be read as a stand alone, or (I suppose) a tiny vague spoiler for OPAP! I'm also putting this under Sev/Lily because that's how I feel it is, even though it's about Ginny and Harry. So, I hope you enjoy this! It certainly was fun to write and makes me super anxious for the rest of OPAP! (:**

**Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling...wait...hold on...no, nevermind, I'm not...**

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The air was warm and stuffy on a beautiful early June afternoon. The sun shone through the wide green leaves of the trees, scattering beautiful golden shadows on the pavement. It had just rained and the smell of wet asphalt hung in the heavy air. Harry was walking up the front walk of his house, his fingers intertwined with Ginny's and his heart beating rapidly against his chest. He hoped that she wouldn't notice how sweaty his hand was becoming, for he did not want her to notice how nervous he was. He stopped at the front door, after the walk up to the house, which seemed to last forever, and faced Ginny.

"Nervous?" He asked, mustering as much confidence as he could.

"You're seriously asking _me_? Take a look at yourself, Potter." She said giggling.

"Well- I guess I- uh-"

"It'll be fine." She said squeezing his hand for reassurance. "Besides, your mum thinks I'm the best 6th year she's ever had and Snape…well, it's hard to tell, but I'm certain he likes me too." She flashed him a self-assured smile before nodding for him to open the door. _How come she is so calm and collected and I'm the mess? Just go in, mum and dad will love her. _Harry thought as he took hold of the handle and opened the door. He slipped off his shoes beside the door and Ginny did the same. Harry noticed that there were no other pairs of shoes at the door, which relieved him slightly. That meant that his younger brother and sister weren't home and _wouldn't_ be around to embarrass him as they undoubtly would.

"You sure you're ready?" Harry said one last time as he looked back at Ginny.

"Yes, I'm bloody sure! Now go!" She said laughing at his nerved reluctance.

Harry shoved his hands in his pockets as he stood at the door way into the kitchen. Lily was standing at the sink with her back turned to him, washing dishes the muggle way.

"Hey, mum." Harry said, getting her attention, however, she didn't turn around.

"Hey, sweetheart." She answered as she kept scrubbing a plate. Harry blushed as Ginny tried to conceal a laugh.

"Mum, I uh- I brought someone over." He moved out of the way so Ginny could step into the kitchen. Lily grabbed the towel next to her and turned around while drying her hands.

"Oh! Miss Weasley!" She said warmly and with a smile. "How've you been this summer?"

"Great, Professor."

"Oh, you don't have to call me that here. Just call me Lily." She insisted casually resting her hands on the counter.

"Mum, uhm- Ginny is staying for dinner. I mean, if that's alright with you?" He said nervously. Lily immediately noticed the difference in his voice and the way he was acting enough to know that he wasn't just asking to have a friend over for dinner.

"Of course it's alright." She responded waving her hand, "She's welcome over anytime, actually." She added, hoping that it might help Harry quit fidgeting so much. It reminded her immensely of how James could be. He would appear so confident and careless, but only Lily ever saw him when he was a nervous wreck, especially about small things.

"Well, that's good because she's uhm- she's, well- uh-"

"Girlfriend. I'm his girlfriend." Ginny said smiling and sliding her hand into his.

"Yea, what she said." He said, breathing a sigh of relief that she was calmer than he was. He felt like an enormous weight had been lifted off his chest as he looked at his mother for her reaction. Lily grinned widely and bit her lip as she tried to restrain herself from rushing over and hugging her son, almost in congratulations of his first real girlfriend.

"Oh, that's absolutely lovely!" She finally said, with sweet sincerity. "Do you guys want to hang out in the living room till dinner? It'll only be another 20 minutes or so."

"Yea sure, mum." Ginny had already turned and walked out of the kitchen when Lily approached Harry and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down, sweet heart. She's a great girl, really. Everything is fine." She said, reminding Harry a lot of the pep-talk Ginny had given him only a few minutes earlier.

"Thanks."

"I always knew too."

"Knew what?"

"That you _liked _her."

"Was it really that obvious?" He said chuckling.

"When you stopped having Ron over and instead and insisted that you go over to the Burrow? Yes, it was very obvious." She said as she went and got out some cups. "Now, go on and entertain your _girlfriend._ Harry walked out of the room shaking his head and laughing. He found Ginny, already in the living room, looking at the picture frames that adorned the mantel.

"So which one is starting Hogwarts next year?" She said as she pointed at pictures of two small black haired children.

"My brother, Seth. Yea, he just turned eleven 2 weeks ago and that's my sister," He said pointing to the girl, "Ellie, she's 8."

"Lily, I don't know what happened, but-" Severus was cut off as he came down the stairs, unaware that there were people in the living room. Harry and Ginny tuned around to see Severus with his shirt unbuttoned, frozen on the stairs.

"Uh, dad, Ginny's here." He said motioning towards her. She blushed and found it extremely funny to see her typically snarky potions professor in a most compromised position.

"Hello, Ms. Weasley. I'm sorry, I was unaware we had company." He said flatly, obviously referring to his lack of coverage. Lily came into the room with drinks, ignorant to the awkward situation that had arisen.

"I brought you guys some- Sev!" She said noticing him on the stairs, she chuckled lightly at the look on his face. "Put some bloody clothes on, Harry has his new girlfriend over!" Severus raised his eyebrows, while Harry covered his face with his hands and Ginny finally let out a laugh.

"Girlfriend, huh?" He said looking at Harry.

"Yes, Ginny and I are a- uh, couple."

"That's very nice."

"Don't mind him." Lily said to Ginny. "He's just a bit flustered because now a student might actually be part of his family now." Severus narrowed his eyes at Lily, knowing full well that she was trying to embarrass him.

"Will you please just help me with my shirt?" Severus finally asked as he came all the way down the stairs.

"Yes, dear." Lily giggled as he followed her into the kitchen. Once they left Harry turned to Ginny.

"I-am-so-sorry." He said shaking his head. "My parents are-"

"No different than mine." She sighed. "Mine are just as embarrassing, if not worse."

"Harry! Dinner's ready!" Lily called from the kitchen, "And I promise your father has a shirt on!" She added quickly and a small 'hey' could be heard after her comment. Ginny and Harry glanced at each other as he took her hand and escorted her into the kitchen with confidence and excitement. He knew this girl accepted him and all his flaws as he accepted her's. She seemed to love the unconventional and strange family that he had because her's was the same in a way. In that moment, he had no idea why he had ever been so nervous. He supposed there was only one real explanation for it, he loved her. Completely and truly loved her.


End file.
